Showing results by author "Christi Barth" in All Categories

They say you form your first impression of someone within 30 seconds of meeting them. Or, in Mira Parrish's case, within 30 minutes of not meeting them, when said person is supposed to pick you up from the airport and never shows. This is not a perfect start to her new life. Her friend Ivy is depending on her to run a new romance store, and Mira can't afford to let her down. Sam Lyons should probably apologize. But every time he sees Mira - which is often, since his family owns the bakery next to her shop - he can't resist antagonizing her. There's something about the sexy, straitlaced woman that drives him crazy.

Wedding planner Ivy Rhodes is the best in the business, and she's not about to let a personal problem stop her from getting ahead. So when she’s asked to star in the reality TV show Planning for Love, it doesn't matter that the show's videographer happens to be a recent - and heartbreaking - one-night stand. Bennett Westcott admits he didn't handle his encounter with Ivy very well. But looking at her beautiful smile - and great body - through a camera lens every day? He can't be faulted for suggesting they have some no-strings fun.

As florist and co-owner of a successful Chicago wedding planning business, Daphne Lovell has been there for the happiest days of other people's lives. As for her own life? Well, it's hard to be perfectly happy when you're carrying a torch for your sexy, womanizing and oblivious best friend. So when the lights go out on New Year's Eve, she seizes the opportunity to kiss him senseless. British expat Gibson Moore has a lot on his plate. The hotel he manages is being bought out, his family is crazy and someone just kissed him in the dark.

One minute I’m starting my dream life in NYC, and the next, a man too hot for his own good is banging on my door, telling me that I’m a long lost princess of a country on the other side of the Atlantic. Not exactly your typical Friday night in the Big Apple. Suddenly, all of my plans for the future are yanked away. I’m trapped in a life filled with social obligations - and stilettos! - and an uptight royal family I didn’t know existed. They, and the whole rest of the freaking country, have lofty expectations I’m not sure I can meet.

Tabitha Bell is the face of Chicago's premiere matchmaking service. At least, she hopes it will be someday, once business really takes off. What she needs is more clients so, when she meets a sexy gamer in need of help, it's the perfect opportunity. His discomfort talking to women almost cost Drew Watson his job. He'd be happy holed up in his office, designing blockbuster video games, but his boss considers talking to investors a nonnegotiable requirement. Who better than a matchmaker to teach him how to be comfortable around the opposite sex?

I can tell you from experience - a whole lot of complications. You see, four months ago, my all-American sister, Kelsey, found out that she’s not actually my sister - she’s a princess of a country we’d never heard of. She begged me to come along when she was whisked off to her new palace, so here I am. An outsider who doesn’t fit in anywhere. Now that she’s settled, I should go back to my exciting new career in New York.

This Christmas, the producer of a small-town holiday spectacular is swept away by a handsome Hollywood director. Being stranded in a snowstorm offers a couple a second chance at a future together. And an American in London helps a brooding Brit put the ghosts of Christmas past behind him. Wherever you are, however you celebrate, this collection of three festive novellas will bring warmth to your holiday season.

Three days ago, all Maisy Norgate had was a stack of bills, about a gazillion jobs, and her sunny-as-hell outlook. Now, thanks to an uncle she never knew about, she's inherited an ornate skeleton key with absolutely no idea what it's for—or why she has it. Which is exactly when a ridiculously handsome guy claiming to be an angel shows up at her door and all hell breaks loose . . .

Hallie Scott expected the hangover from her thirtieth birthday. She did not expect to find her calm, orderly life as Swan Cove's head librarian to completely change overnight when her best friend added Hallie to the mayoral ballot because of one little remark. One. Now she's going head-to-head with the small coastal town's prominent "prince," Fitz Montgomery . . . whose charm is about to get seriously checked.

I’m thrilled that my first trip back to my homeland, after years in exile, is for an assignment from the prime minister. Even better, the job's to put Princess Genevieve in her place...by cutting off her cash flow. Spoiled royals - even drop-dead gorgeous ones - don't do anything to deserve their wealth and status. Hell, they don't do anything. She's fighting me tooth and nail, of course. The only way to stop her arguing is, well, to kiss her.

After narrowly surviving a bus crash in high school with his best friends, science geek Knox Davis resolved to become so successful that he could have anything and everything he wants. Now he’s über-wealthy, a huge business success, and a notorious ladies’ man. Knox refuses to limit himself to one woman, but when his latest conquest - a blond beauty from the Alaskan bush - challenges his superficial ways, Knox begins to see the world through her eyes, and finds he likes what he sees. A nurturer at heart, Madison Abbott wants to put down roots.

Ward Cantrell always went for the long shot. But that recklessness cost him his college scholarship and his chance to play pro ball, and - worst of all - it ended his relationship with the girl next door. Neither the town nor the girl has ever forgiven him. Now he's taking one last long shot by opening a boutique distillery on the family farm he inherited.

Small-town park ranger Casey Hobbes has spent her life under the radar, carefully guarding a secret. "The forest flirt", as her best friend calls her, keeps things casual with men. That way she'll never care enough to be tempted to share the truth about her past. But when she spots a half-naked stranger on the lake's edge, Casey can't resist his muscles or his charm, and she's all in for enjoying both while keeping emotion out of it. What could be the danger of one summer fling?

Ella Mayhew's always appreciated the beautiful view of Seneca Lake from the spa window of her family's hotel. But the view improves dramatically when a hot stranger runs across the grounds - shirtless. He's the first man to kickstart her hormones in the three years since she lost her parents, and she doesn't even know his name. Graydon Locke's on his umpteenth undercover assignment.

Darcy Trent is lucky Cooper Hudson is on hand to sweep her off her feet - literally - when she nearly drowns while swimming in the ocean. But life-saving aside, Mr. Perfect's timing stinks: Darcy's career is about to take her to the complete opposite side of the Atlantic. Still, a little summer loving with the tall, blond and sexy former cop is far too tempting to pass up.

A memorable three-night stand gets rekindled in a cabin in West Virginia. An office romance is sparked by an impulsive holiday kiss. And two best friends scout locations for a marriage proposal and discover that they make a perfect match. 'Tis the season for laughter, love, and a lifetime of happiness.

Josh Hardwick’s life looks great. He lives with his best friends, runs a gourmet food truck, and spends his nights hooking up with every eligible woman in D.C. But he hides his daily struggle with dyslexia - which holds him back from expanding his business. The last complication he needs is a relationship. Especially not with an off-limits friend who is dangerously hot.

Order. Attention to detail. Never leaving anything to chance. These are the qualities that make Riley Ness such a terrific federal agent...and a pain in the ass to everyone else. The only time Riley lets loose is when he’s hanging out with his closest pals. So when he’s thrown together with gorgeous, flighty Summer Sheridan, Riley’s brain tells him she’s a ticking time bomb - but his body doesn’t want to play by the rules.

Logan Marsh never stays in one place for long. Through his family’s foundation, Logan spends his days traveling to the world’s most dangerous places to deliver disaster relief, which really puts a damper on his sex life - until he reconnects with his high school crush. Stranded together in the Caribbean, they enjoy a steamy fling that awakens feelings Logan has ignored for too long. But family drama calls him away from her sweet embrace...or so he thinks.

Griffin Montgomery helps people. As a teenager, he kept his best friends alive after their soccer team’s bus crashed in the Alps. Now, as a Coast Guard search and rescue pilot, he saves lives with reckless abandon - until he goes too far and earns a lengthy suspension. Working on the Naked Men projects keeps his mind busy, but Griff’s itching to get back in the action. That’s when he finds his latest rescue mission: a pretty wallflower who’s stuck in her comfort zone.